COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – With the regular season in the books, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) unveiled its 2022-23 All-Rookie Team on Tuesday, with five different teams represented on the six-man squad.
 
The freshman standouts that earned a spot on the NCHC All-Rookie Team include North Dakota’s Jackson Blake, Western Michigan’s Ryan McAllister and Minnesota Duluth’s Ben Steeves at forward. The All-Rookie Team blue line consists of Omaha teammates Joaquim Lemay and Jacob Guevin, while Colorado College’s Kaidan Mbereko is the NCHC’s All-Rookie Team goaltender.
 
Blake was a unanimous selection to the All-Rookie Team, earning all 15 possible first-team votes for 45 points. McAllister earned 14 of 15 first-team votes and 43 points, while Steeves was the third forward with 39 points and 12 first-team votes. Lemay (37 points) and Guevin (35) each received 11 first-team votes, while Mbereko picked up 10 and earned 36 points.
 
Blake (Eden Prairie, Minn.) led all NCHC rookies in conference-only scoring with 29 points, tying for second among all players in 24 NCHC games. It’s the third-most points by a freshman in conference play in NCHC history. Blake scored 10 goals and added 19 assists, which were second-most in conference play this year and first among freshmen. The Carolina Hurricanes draft pick was a two-time NCHC Rookie of the Month this year and finished the regular season with 40 points (15g/25a) in 35 games. The 40 points rank second among NCHC rookies and fourth among all NCHC players.
 
Like Blake, McAllister (London, Ont.) was also a two-time NCHC Rookie of the Month. He leads all NCHC freshmen in overall scoring with 45 points (11g/34a) in 36 games. The 34 assists are first nationally among all skaters. In conference play, McAllister was second among freshmen and tied for sixth overall with 24 points. He scored six goals and handed out 18 assists, one fewer than Blake. McAllister was a four-time NCHC Rookie of the Week this season, as well.
 
Steeves (Bedford, N.H.) was a goal-scoring machine, potting 17 tallies in 24 NCHC games to tie for the lead among all players in conference play. The 17 goals are the second-most ever by a rookie in NCHC play. He also dished out five assists for 22 points in NCHC games. Overall, Steeves has 20 goals in 32 games this season, tops among NCHC freshmen, second among NCAA freshmen and tied for third among all NCHC players. The four-time NCHC Rookie of the Week has a team-best 26 points overall this season.
 
On the blue line, Lemay (Saint-Pierre-les-Becquets, Quebec) and Guevin (Drummondville, Quebec) logged big minutes for the Mavericks to help them finish in third place. Lemay, a Washington Capitals draft pick, has a goal and 10 assists in 29 games this season, including seven assists in NCHC play. Guevin has 15 points (3g/12a) in 33 games this year, with all three goals and seven assists coming in conference play for 10 points. Guevin was also an NCHC Defenseman of the Week in January.
 
In goal, Mbereko (Aspen, Colo.) was a rock for the Tigers all season, starting 22 of 24 NCHC games with three shutouts. He posted a .930 save percentage in NCHC play, second among all goalies, while his 2.26 goals-against average was third. His 609 saves were the most in conference play this season, averaging 27.7 saves per NCHC game. Overall, Mbereko has played in 26 games this season with an NCHC-best .923 save percentage and carries a 2.43 GAA. He is a two-time NCHC Goalie of the Month this year and three-time Goaltender of the Week.
 
Voting was conducted by the eight head coaches at each institution and eight media members, one covering each member school. Coaches and media voted for six forwards, four defensemen and two goaltenders, awarding first-team votes for six players (three forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender) and second-team votes for the other six selections. Three points were awarded for a first-team vote while one point was awarded for a second-team vote, with the most points at each position earning the honors. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players, making 15 first-place votes (45 points) the maximum a player can receive.
 
The NCHC will announce its All-Conference Teams on Wednesday and its individual award finalists on Thursday. Individual award winners will be announced at the annual NCHC Awards Celebration in Saint Paul, Minn. on Thursday, March 16 on the eve of the 2023 NCHC Frozen Faceoff.
 
2022-23 NCHC All-Rookie Team
F: Jackson Blake, North Dakota – 45 points (15 first-team votes) – unanimous
F: Ryan McAllister, Western Michigan – 43 (14)
F: Ben Steeves, Minnesota Duluth – 39 (12)
D: Joaquim Lemay, Omaha – 37 (11)
D: Jacob Guevin, Omaha – 35 (11)
G: Kaidan Mbereko, Colorado College – 36 (10)